Is orchard wood safe?

[richtee]

I really don't expect a negative response from MSU, like ya said, ya can't buy ANY good stuff any more. Man, that Clorodane stuff WORKED heh.

 

[potatoc]

You know MI is the number one cherry producer in the US. A guy up here in my neck of the woods should really look into taking all these trimmings and getting them to all the smokers out there. You all should see it up here, piles of cherry and apple tree limbs 20' tall at every other farm that are just burned like bonfires because they have nothing else to do with the stuff!!!!!

 

[richtee]

I have been pondering this very issue. Even have a few good buds in the tree biz.

 

[walking dude]

also.......make buds with the tree trimmings guys............specially the ones that have to trim limbs back from the power lines..........and alot of em have chippers............

i know up and down this street alot of maple

 

[richtee]

Here is their reply... was hoping for a list of bad stuff...but no go. Ah well. I am still assuming they arn't using DDT or anything too nasty. it's a food producing plant.
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Pesticides have environmental half lives which vary depending on the chemical involved. Here is the number for the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network. (800) 858-7378. You will probably need to know which pesticide was being used on the wood for them to determine if there is a potential hazard.



Charlene Molnar

Horticulture Advisor, Plant and Pest Hotline
Michigan State University Extension - Oakland County
1200 North Telegraph Road
Pontiac, Michigan 48341-0416

 

[packplantpath]

Sounded kind of non-committal like they didn't want to say anything too certain. Can't say I blame them. It was a nice shot though.

What's so bad about DDT? It was pretty harmless to us humans, it was the birds that it sucked for. I've heard dad talking about walking through clouds of the stuff as a kid. No harmful effects so far, and his kids even came out relatively smart (at least one of them did, I'll let you choose which).

 

[richtee]

Well, I already used the Chlorodane example, and Agent orange would kill the tree...LOL! Yeah...bureaucratic pablum is all the rage these days heh.

 

[xcap]

There are too many pesticides out there for them (MSU) to give anything but a vague answer. Tis true as stated as to how long lasting they are w/ wind, rain, snow, and chemical breakdown or farmers wouldn't have to apply but rarely.

 

[peculiarmike]

We're ALL going to die of something.
Smoke Q and be happy.

Or don't.

 

[seaham358]

I did not read all the posts.. Been away for a few days..
I will say that IMO the wood is fine...
The SOIL on the other had is gonna be HOT... If you but land that was an orchard you should have it tested...

 

[packplantpath]

The stuff to really worry about were the mercury based fungicides used in the 40s. We still use chloropicirin (nerve gas) to fumigate land. Methyl bromide is getting phased out, but man it was good stuff. Kill darn near anything. Weeds didn't even come up. The fumigants would burn the piss out of your eyes and make your nose run. You knew in a few minutes if the hose was leaking. Fortunately, unless you covered the soil with plastic, the gas in the soil was gone in about 3-5 days.

Like I said, my rule would be anything less than 30 days after application and I may be wary of using it unless I knew the chemical used, rate, etc.